The High Court Report

L. M. v. Middleborough, Petitioner v. United States, et al. | Decision Date: 5/27/25 | Case No. 24-410 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether school officials may presume substantial disruption or a violation of the rights of others from a student’s silent, passive, and untargeted ideological speech simply because that speech relates to matters of personal identity, even when the speec...

Apache Stronghold, Petitioner v. United States, et al. | Order Date: 5/23/25 | Case No. 24-291 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether the government “substantially burdens” religious exercise under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act ("RFRA"), or must satisfy heightened scrutiny under the Free Exercise Clause, when it singles out a sacred site for complete physical destruction, endin...

Order Summary: Trump v. Wilcox | Order Date: 5/22/25 | Case No. 24A966 This case comes from the Emergency Docket. Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether the Supreme Court should stay the judgments issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia pending appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and any further proceedings in this Court. The underlying case...

I created this episode to highlight and contrast the Justices' questions and comments at oral argument to the written opinion in Kousisis. While all Justices agreed on rejecting the economic-loss requirement, their different concerns and questioning approaches during oral argument directly predicted the fragmented reasoning that would characterize their written opinions. The oral argument served a...

Opinion Summary: Kousisis v. United States | Case No. 23-909 | Date Decided: 5/22/25 Link to Docket: Here . Questions Presented: Whether deception to induce a commercial exchange can constitute mail or wire fraud, even if inflicting economic harm on the alleged victim was not the object of the scheme. Whether a sovereign's statutory, regulatory, or policy interest is a property interest when compl...

Opinion Summary: Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond | Case No. 24-394 | Date Decided: 5/22/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: The Oklahoma Constitution requires Oklahoma to “establish[ ] and maint[ain] . . . a system of public schools, which shall be open to all the children of the state and free from sectarian control.” The Oklahoma Constitution also requires that [n]o public...

Case Info: A.A.R.P. v. Trump, Case No. 24A1007 | Date Decided: 5/16/25 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether Venezuelan nationals detained as alleged members of a terrorist organization are entitled to constitutionally adequate notice and opportunity to challenge their removal before being deported under the Alien Enemies Act, and if so, what minimum notice requirements must the gover...

Here are some highlights from the Trump v. CASA, Inc. case heard on May 15, 2025. Justice Kagan and Justice Barrett went viral for their questions. Those portions begin around 09:17. Please see the oral argument episode for additional case details. As always, I welcome any feedback on the episode or podcast. Email: scotus.cases.pod@gmail.com.

Case Info: Trump, President of U.S. v. CASA, Inc. | Case No. 24A884 | Date Argued: 5/15/25 Consolidation Note: The following cases were consolidated: (1) Trump, President of U.S. v. CASA, Inc., Case No. 24A884; (2) Trump, President of U.S. v. Washington, Case No. 24A885; and (3) Trump, President of U.S. v. New Jersey, Case No. 24A886. Parties: Applicants: United States and Federal Officials Respon...

Case Info: Barnes v. Felix | Case No. 23-1239 | Date Argued: 1/22/25 | Date Decided: 5/15/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: The Fourth Amendment prohibits a police officer from using "unreasonable" force. U.S. Const. amend. IV. In Graham v. Connor, this Court held that reasonableness depends on "the totality of the circumstances." 490 U.S. 386, 396 (1989) (quotation marks omitted). But four ci...

In Memoriam: A Reflection on the Remarkable Journey of Justice David Souter Episode Overview In this special memorial episode, we discuss the remarkable life and judicial career of Justice David H. Souter, a Supreme Court Justice who defied political expectations and remained committed to principled jurisprudence. Key Highlights Born: September 17, 1939 in Melrose, Massachusetts Appointed to Supre...

Episode Description: This episode features a May 7, 2025 conversation between Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. They discuss why judicial independence matters in our democracy and how it helps balance power between different parts of government. Both judges share stories about their personal backgrounds, law school experiences, and key moments in...

Case Info: United States v. Shilling | Order Decided: 5/6/25 | Case No. 24A1030 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether the Supreme Court should stay the nationwide injunction issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Plain English Translation: This order means that the district court’s nationwide injunction is on hold until final adjudication of...

Case Info: Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond | Case No. 24-394 | Date Argued: 4/30/25 | Date Decided: 5/22/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: The Oklahoma Constitution requires Oklahoma to “establish[ ] and maint[ain] . . . a system of public schools, which shall be open to all the children of the state and free from sectarian control.” The Oklahoma Constitution also requires...

Case Info: Feliciano v. Department of Transportation | Date Decided: 4/30/25 | Case No. 23-861 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether a federal civilian employee called or ordered to active duty under a provision of law during a national emergency is entitled to differential pay even if the duty is not directly connected to the national emergency. Holding: A federal civilian employee c...

Case Info: Martin v. United States | Case No. 24-362 | Date Argued: 4/29/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: Petitioners are the innocent victims of a wrong-house raid conducted by an FBI SWAT team in Atlanta, Georgia. Seeking a remedy for torts committed against them, Petitioners brought a cause of action against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act. In its opinion below, the Ele...

Case Info: Laboratory Corp. of America v. Davis | Case No. 24-304 | Date Argued: 4/29/25 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether a federal court may certify a class action when some of its members lack any Article III injury. Oral Advocates: For Petitioner: Noel J. Francisco For United States, as Amicus Curiae: Sopan Joshi, Assistant to the Solicitor General For Respondents: Deepak Gupt...

Case Info: Advocate Christ Medical Center v. Kennedy | Date Decided: 4/29/25 | Case No. 23-715 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Does the phrase "entitled ... to benefits," used twice in the same sentence of the Medicare Act, mean the same thing for Medicare part A and supplementary security income (SSI), such that it includes all who meet basic program eligibility criteria, whether or no...

Case Info: A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools | Case No. 24-249 | Date Argued: 4/28/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Rehabilitation Act) require public entities and organizations that receive federal funding to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. In the decision below, the Ei...

Case Info: Soto v. United States | Case No. 24-320 | Date Argued: 4/28/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: This case determines whether thousands of medically retired combat veterans should receive all the combat related special compensation (CRSC) that Congress specifically authorized for combat veterans. The government has elected to calculate the period of retroactive compensation due using t...

Case Info: Diamond Alternative Energy, LLC v. EPA | Case No. 24-7 | Date Argued: 04/23/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: Section 209(a) of the Clean Air Act generally preempts States from adopting emission standards for new motor vehicles. 42 U.S.C. § 7543(a). But under Section 209(b) of that Act, EPA may grant California and only California-a waiver from federal preemption to set its own vehi...

Case Info: Mahmoud v. Taylor | Case No. 24-297 | Date Argued: 4/22/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: Respondent Montgomery County Board of Education requires elementary school teachers to read their students storybooks celebrating gender transitions, Pride parades, and same-sex playground romance. The storybooks were chosen to disrupt "cisnormativity" and "either/or thinking" among students. T...

Case Info: CIR v. Zuch | Case No. 24-416 | Date Argued: 4/22/25 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: Whether a proceeding under 26 U.S.C. 6330 for a pre-deprivation determination about a levy proposed by the Internal Revenue Service to collect unpaid taxes becomes moot when there is no longer a live dispute over the proposed levy that gave rise to the proceeding. Oral Advocates: For petition...

Case Info: Velazquez v. Bondi, Att'y Gen. | Date Decided: 4/22/25 | Case No. 23-929 Link to Docket: Here . Question Presented: When a noncitizen's voluntary-departure period ends on a weekend or public holiday, is a motion to reopen filed the next business day sufficient to avoid the penalties for failure to depart? Holding: Under §1229c(b)(2), a voluntary-departure deadline that falls on a w...

Case Info: Parrish v. United States | Case No. 24-275 | Date Argued: 4/21/25 | Date Decided: 6/12/25 Link to Docket: Here . Background: Ordinarily, litigants must file a notice of appeal within 30 or 60 days of an adverse judgment. 28 U.S.C. § 2107(a)-(b). Under 28 U.S.C. § 2107(c) and Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(6), however, district courts can reopen an expired appeal period when a party did not receiv...